Essex 343 and 59 for 2 (Das 27*, Hume 2-14) course Ireland 419 (Stirling 107, Tucker 97, McBrine 67, Richards 5-96) by 17 runs
Paul Stirling made a century and Lorcan Tucker 97 as Ireland recovered from a shaky start in their first innings against Essex, eventually being dismissed for 419 to take a 76 lead.
Graham Hume then pushed his claims for a place in the XI at Lord’s next week by removing both Essex openers in the same over.
Stirling, who scored his first Test hundred at Galle last month, was expected to miss the game against England due to a deal to play in the Blast for Birmingham Bears, but was included in the squad after a change of heart.
He did not take part in the tour match at Chelmsford until Saturday, having left Leicester for Birmingham less than 24 hours earlier, and quickly made the adjustment to a red ball after running off in the morning’s sixth over.
Ireland were 46 for 4 at the time, and the score soon became 65 for 5 as Jamal Richards and Mark Adair – the Irish sailor playing for Essex in this game – rattled the top order.
However, Stirling and Tucker started to repair the damage with the score finally worth 175 in 30.1 overs.
Stirling produced his first half-century, off 63 balls, and Tucker came on target shortly after on 61 balls. Tucker, the wicketkeeper batter, then accelerated to a century with a flurry of bounds, but had to be treated for an arm problem on 96 and then tame a few balls later to point back.
With Stirling content at the weight anchor, Andy McBrine charged to a 48-ball fifty against a tiring attack as Ireland added 105 for the seventh wicket. Stirling completed his century with 137 balls shortly before tea.
After the interval, McBrine dragged on to his stumps to give 18-year-old Noah Thaine a first-class wicket, and Stirling misimposed Richards with the second new ball. Fionn Hand’s combative 48 not coming out of number 9 extended Ireland’s lead before Richards capped off an impressive display by completing a five-for on his debut.
There was time for Essex to start their second innings, and Hume struck twice in the space of five balls – he had taken Nick Browne behind and Josh Rymell by slip – but centurion Robin Das in the first innings again played his shots to to turn 27. not out 26 at the end.
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